


Pick A Card

by itskatbug



Category: Produce 101 (TV), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Tarot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-11 12:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20546513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itskatbug/pseuds/itskatbug
Summary: Wooseok is worried about his future after graduation, and Seungyoun is a tarot reader with a cute face and surprisingly accurate predictions.





	1. The Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic in over two years. please don't judge it too harshly!
> 
> i did my best to research everything and make it as accurate as possible. if there are any mistakes, i apologize.

Kim Wooseok is worried about his future.

Well, maybe not _worried_. He’s confident in his own abilities. He knows that he’s a talented singer, and as a musical performance major, that means he has a decent chance of succeeding in his preferred field after graduation. His professors have told him as much, and it makes him feel better about pursuing a degree that most people would deem useless. It makes him hopeful that things are going to work out for him.

The problem is that he can’t see the future. He can’t be one-hundred percent positive that he’ll be a success, or that he’ll even have a career that allows him to pursue music and sing his heart out. It isn’t easy to become a musician in Seoul, especially not when you want to avoid the typical idol route.

There’s no way to guarantee that all of his hard work will pay off when he graduates at the end of the semester, and that’s enough to plant a seed of doubt that has recently grown through the cracks in his confidence.

When he expresses as much to his best friend, Seungwoo, the elder gives him some unexpected advice: _get a tarot reading_.

“He’s Hangyul’s best friend,” he explains to a very skeptical Wooseok, who is currently looking at him like he just lifted up those overgrown bangs to show off a hidden third eye. “Plus, he gave Yohan a reading the other month, and it was really accurate. He basically predicted his promotion at work.”

“It’s not very difficult to predict that someone will get promoted after the store’s manager quits. That usually happens, you know.” He doesn’t mean to sound so snarky, but he’s still reeling from the fact that Seungwoo actually believes in tarot readings.

Seungwoo, whose opinion he values greatly, might actually be insane. It’s a very concerning revelation.

He thinks that the elder rolls his eyes, but once again, those damned bangs obstruct a majority of his gaze, so he can’t be certain. What he is certain about, however, is that his friend is giving him his patented “cut the bullshit” look. His lips press together in a closed-mouth smile that almost looks painful, his head tilting ever-so-slightly as he reaches into his back pocket to pull out his phone. “Look. You don’t have to go to him if you don’t want to. But if you’re really that nervous about your future, you might as well give it a shot.” 

He holds up the device so Wooseok can peek at the screen, showing off an Instagram page filled with tarot cards and crystals and, surprisingly, a few song recommendations. In the biography, there’s a short list of prices, as well as instructions to send a direct message to book a reading.

The cheapest price on the list is ₩35,000 for a 30 minute session, which feels a little overpriced, but he doesn’t have any other tarot readers to compare it to. And, judging by the way Seungwoo is watching him, giving the phone a tiny shake to catch his attention, he must think that it’s a pretty reasonable rate.

Wooseok’s resolve crumbles easily, unable to handle his friend’s staring for much longer. With a heavy sigh, he shakes his head in defeat, “Fine, I’ll go. But you need to set up the meeting, and if it’s not even the least bit accurate, you’re paying for it.”

He’s met with the same smile from before, but this one is paired with a crinkling of his eyes that says Seungwoo is very pleased with his decision and willing to accept those terms. Before he has the chance to change his mind, the older man is tapping away at his phone, signing Wooseok up for an appointment later that week.

* * *

The address on his phone matches the address of the apartment Wooseok is standing in front of, but he still feels like he’s in the wrong place. 

From the outside, the building is perfectly normal. It looks like any other apartment building, and it is actually only a few blocks away from his own. He’d been able to walk there without any trouble, which is deemed a plus when he realizes that he doesn’t need to spend any more money for a ride. It even has a few kids playing out front, skipping over invisible lines on the sidewalk as they shriek with glee. And the lobby itself is just as nice; perfectly plain in every way, but clean and free of any loiters. 

It’s the kind of place that he could see himself living in. But it isn’t the kind of place that he imagined a tarot reader would operate.

Maybe his only experience with tarot and psychics comes from cheesy Halloween movies, but he was expecting something a little… _different_. On his way there, he pictured a tiny shop made out of brick, with overgrown ivy creeping up the wall and cracks in the pavement leading to the door. He thought that maybe it would border some woods (never mind the fact that it was in the city and there weren’t any woods nearby), or that an old black cat would be sitting on the doorstep, or that a creaking sign would be swinging above the door despite a lack of wind. 

(He also thought that there might be a big, dark cloud looming overhead. That one was true, though, because it was supposed to rain later.)

Instead, he finds himself standing in a normal hallway, in front of a normal door, pausing as some very normal people walk passed him to reach the elevator. The only detail that makes him think he’s in the right place is a doormat, decorated simply with the phrase “_something wicked this way comes_”.

Wooseok can’t decide if he should consider it ominous or just plain cheesy.

Once he realizes that he’s been lingering in front of the door for a few minutes too long, he takes a deep breath, builds up his courage, and knocks.

From inside the apartment, a voice shouts out for him to wait a minute. It’s a little higher pitched than he would have thought, but he’s quickly learning that many of his expectations may not be met today. Shifting from one foot to another, he patiently waits for the other to finish up whatever he’s doing (stirring a cauldron, maybe?) and open the door.

And when he finally does, Wooseok finds himself face-to-face with a man his own age. He’s attractive, which comes as a surprise to him for some reason. He shouldn’t be shocked that Hangyul’s best friend is good-looking—all of his friends that he’s met so far have been—but he still stares at the stranger for a little too long. He looks casual, too, but he would’ve dressed more casually himself if he didn’t have to leave the house. With slightly messy hair, a pair of glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and an obnoxiously orange sweater, he looks like he could’ve just rolled out of bed.

After a moment passes, the taller man’s face lights up with a smile, eyes forming cute little crescent moons and shallow dimples forming in his cheeks, “You must be Kim Wooseok!” His voice is too loud for an apartment hallway, but the enthusiasm is appreciated. “Come on in,” he holds open the door, stepping back to make room.

It would be rude to stand there for any longer than he already has, so he does as he’s told, and steps inside after the man.

“I’m Cho Seungyoun,” the other starts again, introducing himself as he sets a small, black velvet bag on his kitchen table. He gestures to one of the two chairs, inviting Wooseok to take a seat, and wanders further into the kitchen. “We can get started in a minute. I was just making some tea.”

Wooseok obediently takes a seat at the table, hands running over the grooves in the wood as he tries to act casual. As confident as he is in himself, he’s never been the most outgoing person with strangers. He’s an introvert at heart, usually avoiding having to meet new people without any of his friends around to act as a buffer. Entering someone’s apartment mere seconds after meeting them is new for him, and it only seems to amplify his nerves.

“That’s fine,” his voice is small, a stark contrast to Seungyoun’s volume, and he clears his throat before trying again. “I don’t mind waiting a little. Just as long as this doesn’t count toward the half hour,” he adds, and it comes out as a joke, even if it’s a true concern of his.

“The session starts when you draw your first card,” is the simple reply he receives.

Seungyoun is facing away from him, watching the water come to a boil before he moves to retrieve the tea. From here, his height is more noticeable. Wooseok likes to think that he’s average height, which means the other is definitely above average. His shoulders are wide, too, and he has to force his gaze away before he starts staring again.

Trying to occupy his mind as he waits, his gaze sweeps passed the kitchen and into the living room. Just like the building itself, Seungyoun’s apartment is a lot different than he had been expecting. It’s not dark or spooky, and there’s nothing in the room that suggests the owner claims to predict the future for a living. No skulls or vials of strange liquid or spider webs hanging from the ceiling. There’s just a simply furnished space, complete with a couch, a coffee table, and a TV set up in the corner. 

The only really interesting thing about the room is how it’s been decorated, clearly the product of someone who has a very active Pintrest account and an eye for aesthetically pleasing decor. The lights in the ceiling are off, but there’s a few lamps scattered around the room, each with a lightbulb that gives off a bright blue hue. The walls are covered in posters for bands that Wooseok has never heard of, but he thinks he spots the girls of Twice hanging next to a rather large tapestry of a palm tree.

Overall, it looks more like the backdrop for a Instagram model than the base of operations for a tarot reading business.

His attention is pulled back to Seungyoun, who clears his throat as he pulls out a pair of mismatched mugs. The man looks over his shoulder at him, wearing a friendly smile, “Would you like some?”

“Oh! That would be great, thank you!” Wooseok sits up in his seat, straightening his posture out of habit, “Are you going to read my tea leaves or something?”

The other’s smile turns into a lopsided grin, one that suggests an air of amusement, “I can only read cards. But if you want to pay extra, I’ll give it a shot.” There’s a wink thrown in at the end, catching Wooseok off guard and causing his cheeks to color a rosy pink.

Something about that answer is reassuring to him. If the man was a sham, he probably wouldn’t admit that he couldn’t read tea leaves, right? It’s comforting to know that the other isn’t just after his money. “That’s okay. I think paying for one reading that I’m skeptical about is enough.”

“That’s probably a smart choice,” the same amusement from his expression leaks into his tone, and Wooseok can’t help but worry that he offended him by admitting to his skepticism. But Seungyoun doesn’t push it any further, turning back to their tea as he prepares the mugs and pours the water. He carries the mugs over to the table, taking a seat and reaching for the same velvet bag that he had put down when they walked in.

The bag is full of tarot cards, as it turns out, and Wooseok watches as he pulls the cards out and begins to shuffle lazily. To keep himself occupied, he stirs his tea, staring down into the mug. It’s a plain white mug, unlike the one Seungyoun had chosen for himself—a brightly colored piece that looks like a toddler painted it—, but through the clear brown liquid, he can spy some writing at the bottom of the cup: “_you have been poisoned_”. He assumes the engraving would be much more effective if he had been drinking something with milk, making it impossible to read until the mug was empty, but it still makes him chuckle.

The other glances up at him, still smiling like the happiest person in the world. It has to hurt to be so cheerful; just looking at Seungyoun makes his cheek ache. He does have a rather dazzling smile, Wooseok notes, and even his eyes seem to sparkle with joy. He wonders if Seungyoun is like this all the time, or if this is just a way to get a tip after the reading. If it’s the latter, he has to admit, he’s tempted to do it.

“So, have you ever had a reading before?” Seungyoun’s gaze makes him want to squirm in his seat, but he isn’t sure why.

“No, I’ve never done this before. I don’t even know if I believe in it, honestly. But my friend said I should give it a try, so here I am.” He feels like a sinner in church, like he’s telling a pastor that he’s agnostic. Something about it feels wrong, and he worries that the other will judge him for it.

What kind of person pays for a service that they don’t even completely believe in? A crazy one, that’s who.

But, much to his relief, Seungyoun doesn’t mind. Or maybe he's just kind enough to keep his judgement to himself. Either way, he takes pity on Wooseok and moves on without commenting on it, “What kind of a reading are you looking for?”

He blinks, “There’s more than one type?”

“Sure. There’s probably a spread for anything you can think of. Most people do general readings, but you could do one for love, or money, or spirituality.” The sound of shuffling cards is mesmerizing, pulling his attention down to the other’s hands. There’s a tattoo on the side of his wrist, but he can’t make out what it is from this angle. He wonders if Seungyoun has any other tattoos hidden under his bright orange sweater. “Whatever you want to focus on, really.”

He wants to suggest that Seungyoun reads for his career, that he helps to give him just a tiny glance into his life beyond university. But a voice in the back of his head is telling him that he needs a general one. This may end up being his first and last reading; he should try to cover all bases while he’s here. “Just… an overall reading. I want to know what my future holds, I guess.”

He receives a tiny hum of acknowledgement in response, and the cards are suddenly spread out across the table in a tidy arch. With a nod, Seungyoun motions toward them, “Pick six. Just go with your gut. Don’t second-guess yourself.”

Pulling out six cards shouldn’t be a big deal, yet Wooseok’s heart is currently trying to jump into his throat. It’s a simple reading that he isn’t even confident will be accurate, but it feels like he’s making one of the most important decisions of his life. Doing his best not to hesitate too much, he touches the backs of six random cards, dragging each one out of the line and toward the middle of the table.

The remaining cards are gathered back into a pile and tucked away in the bag that they came from. One by one, Seungyoun flips the cards over, laying them out methodically in a formation that vaguely resembles a star. Once they’ve all been placed in the spread, the reader gives yet another hum. This one is a little different, like he’s considering each of the cards and trying to piece them together into a story.

As if he himself can understand their meaning, Wooseok looks down to examine them as well.

He hasn’t seen many tarot cards before, doesn’t know what they normally look like, but he’d be willing to bet that Seungyoun owns the most beautiful deck they offer. The artwork on the cards is stunning, each picture in black and white aside from a unique splash of color somewhere on the card. The fifth card that he lays out is his favorite: a beautiful butterfly, with what seems to be a rainbow infinity sign connecting its wings. It’s pretty enough that he wishes he could have it framed.

Without any warning, Seungyoun begins explaining the cards, starting with the basics. As a first-timer, Wooseok can’t help but feel appreciative that he’s taking the time to walk him through the reading.

“These cards,” his hands hover over the selection, pointing out the two cards that have their names written on them, rather than just a number, “are the major arcana. They set the overall tone of the reading, and relate to important life lessons, or specific themes that appear in your life. And those cards,” a thin index finger points to the other four cards, “are the minor arcana. They represent your everyday experiences, and current issues that can contribute to the major arcana cards that you pulled.”

It’s a pretty straight-forward explanation, and even though he doesn’t completely understand what all of that means, Wooseok nods anyway.

“Each position in the spread has a specific meaning, so the order you pull the cards is always important,” Seungyoun continues, setting an elbow on the table and resting his cheek against the palm of his hand. The comfortable stance makes Wooseok relax as well, trying to mirror his body language. “We’ll start with the card in the middle. That’s your question. What you really want to know about.”

His gaze flits over to the card in question, studying the artwork in the hopes that it will tell him the meaning. It looks like a stack of sticks, lined up in a way that forms a staircase, or maybe a hallway. He counts nine of them, each with a number of branches poking out. The path of sticks leads up to a yellow crescent moon. No matter how much he stares at the card, he can’t figure out what it could possibly mean. After a moment, he looks back up to Seungyoun, waiting for an explanation.

Sensing his client’s confusion, he hurries to describe the card, “This is the nine of wands. Wands represent your aspirations, ambitions, and dreams. It’s what's most important to you at your very core. It’s what motivates you and makes you tick. And, usually, nines mean that your journey is coming to a close soon. The nine of wands symbolizes strength, confidence, and stamina. Maybe you feel like giving up after a long journey, or you’re starting to feel exhausted with your path in life,” he holds eye contact with Wooseok for a few seconds, as if he can see right through him, before looking back to the card. “Or maybe you’re feeling lost because you’re closing an important chapter of your life. You’re doubting yourself. But you need to remember that you’re resilient, and you need to be confident in yourself. You’ve traveled this far already, right? You can handle whatever life throws your way. Your hard work is going to pay off.”

His description of the card is effortless, like he’s reading off of cue-cards instead of trying to piece it together through his memory. It’s impressive. Wooseok isn’t sure how many cards there are in the deck, but he knows for a fact that he would never be able to memorize all of their meanings like that.

He also can’t deny that the card is accurate for his current situation. He’s finishing up school, which has certainly been a long journey and an important chapter of his life. He’s nervous too, doubting himself in ways that he never has before. It might just be a lucky guess, or maybe the description is general enough to apply to most situations, but he feels a sense of comfort in hearing Seungyoun tell him that everything will work out well for him.

It takes a moment before he realizes that the other is waiting for him to speak, and he’s just been sitting here thinking about how impressive Seungyoun is. “Wow!” His voice comes out a little louder than he planned, but Seungyoun seems pleased by his reaction, “Yeah, I can see how that would relate to my situation. I’m graduating soon, and I’m a little concerned about how well I’ll do after.”

“That’s a totally normal thing to worry about. I think everyone feels that way at some point in their life, especially when they’re finishing up school.”

Seungyoun says it so casually, he has to wonder if this is something people usually focus on for their readings. It would make sense; if he feels desperate enough to trust tarot cards, there must be thousands of others in the same position.

“I think I am confident in my abilities. It’s just hard to predict what’ll happen next, you know?” Wooseok sighs, taking a sip of the tea that he had momentarily forgotten about. It’s still warm, thankfully. “Or maybe you don’t know. You can probably see the future, right?”

The reader lets out a hearty laugh that shakes his body, thoroughly amused by the comment, “No, I can’t actually see the future. But it would be pretty great if I could.” Following Wooseok’s movements, he raises his own mug up for a drink, “I just have pretty good intuition, and I know how to interpret the cards in a way that answers my client’s questions. Without them, I’d be pretty useless when it comes to predictions.”

“Oh,” Wooseok nods in a way that suggests he understands. He wants to know more, but he isn’t sure how appropriate it is to question a tarot reader’s abilities. Plus, the clock is ticking, and he only has a limited amount of time before he has to pay extra.

Taking that as a sign to continue, they move on to the next card.

“The second card represents what you want most at the moment. And for you, it’s the Lovers.”

The name is printed clearly on the face of the card, underneath a pair of geese mid flight. They’re surrounded by lines of color, giving off the illusion that light is pouring down on the animals. Hilariously, the lines are the different colors of the rainbow, and when paired with the name of the card, Wooseok can’t help but wonder if the deck somehow knows that he’s gay. The thought makes him want to laugh.

“The cards say that I want a relationship?” he reaches up to scratch at the nape of his neck, powering through the sudden rush of blood to his cheeks. He’s gone on a few casual dates in the last year or two, and the idea of a bit of romance in his life isn’t horrible, but he wouldn’t say he necessarily _wants_ one more than anything else. He’s mostly just concerned that the cards are telling Seungyoun that he’s desperately single and needs romance in his life to fix all of his problems. A small part of that might be true (he’s single, not desperate) but that’s not the impression he wants to give the other. “I’m not against the idea, of course, but I don’t know if that’s really what I want the most right now.”

Something about his response is funny, because Seungyoun lets out a giggle. It’s childish and silly, but cute. He didn’t think a grown man could sound cute when he giggled.

“It doesn’t have to be a relationship. It definitely can mean romance, but it can also just be union or harmony. See the geese?” He points to the illustration on the card, “They’re totally parallel to each other. The way they’re flying, the angle of their wings, the markings on their feathers. They mirror each other. So maybe what you’re really craving is a sense of balance in your life.”

That makes sense. And Wooseok opens his mouth to say as much, but is promptly interrupted.

“Or, it can be exactly what you thought it was. The most obvious meaning behind the Lovers card is, well, love. The card might be telling you that it’s time to consider the relationships you have in your life. It can be something completely platonic, like with your family or your friends. But it can be romantic too. It might be time for you to think about dating, if you aren’t already,” he explains, pausing to wiggle his eyebrows in his client’s direction, “and it could even relate to sexual desire.”

The breath catches in Wooseok’s throat, causing him to cough in surprise. The reaction makes the other chuckle again—he laughs just as often as he smiles. 

He quickly reaches for his tea, using the cover of the mug to hide his red face. The few seconds it takes for him to drink allows the strange butterflies in his stomach to calm down. “I’m not so sure about that one. Maybe, uh… maybe I should start thinking about dating or something.”

“Maybe,” the man practically sings the word, but he gives Wooseok some time to ponder it himself and moves on to the next card.

The card in question is much more simple than the last two. It’s void of any color, just a bunch of lines and seven circles sorted in a messy diagonal line. There are little stars inside of the circles, almost like pentagrams. There’s nothing about this card that gives away its meaning.

“The third card represents your fears, and you got the seven of pentacles. Pentacles are our worldly possessions, and they usually deal with money or a career. The seven of pentacles is a period of uncertainty, especially with your work. Wondering if you’re going to succeed or fail. Not sure if all of your hard work was a waste of time, or if it’ll pay off in the end.” He taps his finger against the card, staring Wooseok down like he knows something he shouldn’t, “Sound familiar to you?”

It does. It sounds like his current biggest fear, but it also sounds like the first card he pulled. He wants to say that it’s just a coincidence, but he’s starting to think that this reading is more accurate than he thought it would be.

“Yeah. I would say this one is pretty accurate.”

Seungyoun seems to take the lack of elaboration as a sign to continue, so he does. “This card is what you have going for you,” he points to the fourth card before his hand moves to hover over the butterfly card, “and this is what you have going against you. They’re actually both twos, which is interesting.”

Wooseok doesn’t understand why it’s interesting that both cards are twos, so he gives a polite nod and stays quiet.

“The two of cups is another card that represents love and connections,” he turns his attention to the fourth card. It shows, like the name suggests, a pair of cups. Between them stands two roses, with the red petals acting as the only color on the card. “Again, it can be any form of love, but this card usually means romance. So, based on the order, I would say you’re going to form a new relationship soon, and it will help you through the problems that you’re currently facing.”

The way Seungyoun watches him is different from before, like there’s more he wants to say, but he’s holding himself back. The weight of his gaze makes Wooseok’s pulse pick up.

“And, yeah, it could be just a friendship too. Either way, the connection will be very deep. A relationship that’s pure and honest. It’ll be more solid than most relationships you have now.” He flashes a bright grin, pleased with the description he gave, “You’re going to depend on this person a lot, so you better open up your heart to new people and get ready for it.”

His throat suddenly feels dry, but his tea has gone cold by now. He resigns himself to his suffering, and chalks his rapid heartbeat up to his thirst while he’s at it. It doesn’t make sense, but it eases his nerves to have a half-assed excuse for why he’s feeling so giddy.

“I’ll have to, um, keep that in mind,” even his words are starting to sound awkward. Something about the way Seungyoun’s eyes are glued to him makes it difficult to piece them together properly.

The other’s eyes are twinkling with delight. Why? Wooseok can’t quite put his finger on it. But at least he’s still happy despite the clear incompetence of his client.

“This one is the two of—”

“Pentacles,” Wooseok cuts in without thinking, but quickly shrinks back in his seat out of embarrassment. “Sorry… I just recognize those circles on the wings. They were on the seven of pentacles, weren’t they?”

Rather than appearing annoyed at having been so rudely interrupted, Seungyoun is practically ecstatic by his sudden participation. “That’s right!” The man is shifting in his seat, pulling his legs up on the chair to position himself in a crouching position. He looks ridiculous with his knees knocking against the table, but it suits him. “I’m glad you noticed! Maybe you should be giving me a reading instead, huh?”

It’s clearly a joke, but Wooseok still rushes to disagree, “No, no, I could never! I’ve been sitting here this whole time, wondering how you do this so easily. I would never be able to remember all of the cards like you can.”

“Thanks,” the taller man actually seems flattered by the comment, the smallest tint of pink coloring his cheeks. “It’s really not that difficult. It just takes a lot of practice. And some natural intuitiveness, I guess.”

He wants to tell him not to sell himself short, but Seungyoun is already moving on, clearly ignoring the blush still lingering on his face.

“So, yeah, the two of pentacles,” both of their attention falls back on the butterfly card. “It mostly signifies balance, and juggling priorities. It can also deal with change. And it’s the pentacles again, which, like I said before, usually means finances or a career. So, if we’re going off of what you’ve already told me, I would say you’re having a hard time managing your time and your priorities. There’ll be a change coming up in your life, which would probably be your graduation, but it could be a new job too. So you might be spending more time worrying about that change than you are actually preparing for it.” The man adjusts his glasses, staring down at the card for a moment before shrugging, “That’s working against you. You need to find a balance between worrying and pushing forward regardless. It’s not wrong to be concerned, as long as you don’t let it control you.”

Wooseok looks back up at him, nodding in understanding, “I think I know what you mean. I’m so wrapped up in hoping that I’ll succeed in my field, I’m not really doing anything to make sure that happens. I haven’t even started looking for opportunities after university.” He trails off, his voice going quiet, “I’m mostly just worried that I won’t find any opportunities. It’s not easy to make a career out of singing. Maybe I won’t be one of the lucky few who actually make it.”

“You’re a singer?” Seungyoun perks up at the new information. When he’s given a nod as an answer, he straightens his back and confidently adds, “You’re gonna be really successful.”

He’s taken aback by the prediction, blinking in surprise before he drops his gaze to examine the cards on the table, “Which one tells you that?”

When he lifts his head again, Seungyoun is still watching him. He almost looks smug, as if he was pleased with himself for saying it, “None of them. It’s just my opinion. You’ve gotta be talented if you’re some kind of vocal major, and you’re pretty enough to be famous. I haven’t even heard you sing, but I’d definitely be your fan.”

Wooseok wishes he had gotten that information from the cards. It’s easier to disagree with cards than it is with someone’s opinion.

He finds himself grinning at the compliment anyway, “Thank you, Seungyoun. That means a lot to me.” It registers a moment too late that the other had called him “pretty”. This wasn’t the first time he’d been told that he was attractive, but it feels different this time around. It feels like Seungyoun genuinely means it. “I hope other people feel the same way.”

“They will,” he replies simply, without any hesitation.

His face is starting to warm up again, and he isn’t sure he can handle blushing any more than he already has in the last twenty five minutes. He’s quick to gesture to the last card, “What does this one mean?”

Silence hangs in the air between them for a few beats, and he worries that he changed the subject too abruptly. After a pause, the reading resumes, and he lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“The last card is the outcome of your current situation. And you actually picked the last card in the major arcana for it, which is a funny coincidence. It’s really the perfect card to have as your outcome, if you ask me.”

The card in question shows a night sky, and in the center, there’s a large circle with various smaller circles inside of it forming layers. The outermost circle contains the shades of the rainbow again, filling the space with lines of color that remind him of the keys of a piano. The name is printed underneath: “_the World_”. It’s not nearly as pretty as the last card, but something about its simplicity is beautiful.

“The World is an overall sense of completion and wholeness. It usually appears for big moments in a person’s life, like a birth, or a marriage,” Seungyoun pauses for suspense, “or graduation. Something major is coming to an end, or maybe a beginning. Everything's coming together. You’re in the right place, at the right time, and you’re doing the right thing.”

Out of all six cards, Wooseok thinks this one is his favorite. Just as the reader said, it really is the perfect card to have as an outcome. It’s wrapping up everything nicely, and placing a bow on top. A wave of relief that he’s been craving for the last few weeks is finally washing over him.

“When you pull this card, it means you’re exactly where you need to be. You are perfect just as you are,” Seungyoun’s voice sounds the softest that it’s been the entire session, “so you shouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself. Everything is going to be alright.”

“It’s easier said than done but,” Wooseok looks to him with a smile, “thank you so much. I really think I needed to hear that.” The reading is officially over, but he doesn’t want to get up and leave yet, “This has lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but I’m happy I came.”

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” the other replies cheerfully, and Wooseok believes that he’s genuine about it. “I hope you’re satisfied enough to become a regular! Or, at least, a repeat customer.”

Returning for a second reading isn’t something he had considered yet. The fact that he attended one in the first place is a surprise, but after experiencing firsthand just how accurate Seungyoun was, he might have to come back for more.

At the very least, he wouldn’t mind spending another half an hour or two with the man.

“I can’t make any promises,” he starts, head tilting to the side as he contemplates the situation. He isn’t sure if he has any more problems that require tarot readings, but he can probably think of a few if he tries hard enough. “But your price is reasonable, and the reading was way more accurate than I thought it would be… so it’s a maybe.”

Seungyoun moves to collect their mugs, pushing away from the table to put them in his sink. When he turns back around to look at the shorter male, he seems almost too pleased with the answer, “I can live with a maybe!”

Even if he can’t quite understand his enthusiasm, it’s contagious enough to make Wooseok feel excited at the idea. But, as he watches the other linger by the kitchen counter, he realizes that it’s probably time for him to go.

He hesitates, a little disappointed that the session was so short. There’s a lot that he wants to learn about the other. He wants to know how he started reading tarot cards, and whether or not this is his only gig, and who all of those obscure bands are that he has plastered all over his living room… well, aside from Twice. He knows them.

He moves to stand after a few more seconds tick by, ready to say goodbye. “It was really nice meeting you,” he begins, but the other man is taking a step in his direction. He pauses, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

“There’s actually a few minutes left before your time is up,” the words are rushed, like Seungyoun is afraid he’ll leave before he has the chance to say them. “You paid for a full thirty minutes, and it wouldn’t really be fair to kick you out before then.”

It’s some pretty sound logic, so he can’t really find a reason to argue. Or maybe he just likes the idea of hanging around for a few more minutes. “Okay. Um. Is there more that you want to tell me about the cards?”

“No. But I can read your palm, if you want? Free of charge, of course.”

The suggestion is perplexing. Wooseok’s thoughts float back to when he first showed up, when he was offered some tea. “I thought you could only read cards.”

“That’s right,” Seungyoun agrees readily, seemingly unfazed by this fact. He closes the distance between them and offers his hand. “But it’s free, so you have nothing to lose if I’m wrong.”

He has to stop himself from immediately reaching out to hold his hand, a sudden urge to touch those pretty hands catching him off guard. Once more, his face heats up, and he’s left hoping that the other thinks he’s just feeling sick. There’s only one other reason why his cheeks are flushing so much today, and he doesn’t know if he wants Seungyoun to know which is the truth.

“As long as it’s free,” he mumbles, reaching out a hand with his palm facing up.

The fact that Wooseok actually agrees seems to make him day, hurrying over to the counter to grab a pen. He returns with a bounce in his step, grabbing hold of the other, “Would you mind if I marked your hand? It’ll wash off. I just need to make sure I can see the lines clearly.”

Even though he’s never heard of someone reading palm lines by tracing them, he’s inclined to trust Seungyoun. It’s not like he knows much about palm reading to begin with, and the tarot reading went well. Plus, the other is clearly still learning how to do this, so maybe marking the lines helps him read them.

He shakes his head, “I don’t mind. Go for it.”

“Close your eyes,” Seungyoun mutters, sounding more shy than he has the entire session. He’s staring intently at his palm, so Wooseok isn’t sure why he can’t watch, but he doesn’t want to ruin his concentration.

With a sigh, he follows the order and closes his eyes.

Just as he suspected, Seungyoun’s hands are very soft. Despite being so much taller, the man’s hands aren’t very big compared to his own. They were warm, too. He wouldn’t mind holding onto them for a little while.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” Wooseok questions, forcing himself not to laugh at the tickle of a pen running across his palm.

“Not really.”

“Oh.”

The short exchange passes, and after a few seconds, they both chuckle at how ridiculous it is.

“I know that this one is the life line,” Seungyoun drags the pen across the lines that arches from the middle of his hand to the very bottom. “It looks pretty long to me, so I think that means you’ll have a healthy life. So that’s good.”

Wooseok hums in agreement, nearly yanking his hand away when the pen drags across another line. “It tickles,” he mutters as a cheap apology.

He can hear a smile in the other’s voice when he speaks again, “Your head line is connected to your life line.” He marks the spot where the two attach, “That means you’re thoughtful and introverted. I could tell that from interacting with you, so I think it’s right.”

For some reason, the observation makes him want to shrink away in embarrassment. He hadn’t noticed that Seungyoun was paying close attention to him.

“And this one,” he runs the tip of the pen over the last line, “is the heart line.” Woosek desperately wants to peak his eyes open, to catch a quick glimpse of the grin that’s evident in his voice. “If I remember correctly, the length means you’re going to have a great love life. There’s little breaks in the line, too. I think those represent your relationships.” There’s a pause. “Well, would you look at that! I think this break,” he skirts the pen across the line in question, “means you’re gonna meet someone really soon. Lucky you!”

In Wooseok’s humble opinion, that sounds like a load of bullshit. He’s almost positive that he’s making it all up as he goes, but he doesn’t want to offend him by pointing it out. Plus, Seungyoun sounds extremely excited about it. So instead, he puts on a small smile, “That sounds exciting.”

“Very exciting,” Seungyoun agrees. 

The pen moves to a spot that hasn’t been drawn on yet, and he can feel light scratching as it runs over his skin. He doesn’t remember there being any lines in that spot, but judging by the movement he feels, there must be a few. Maybe they’re just too faint for him to have noticed before. It’s not like he’s spent a lot of time staring at his own hands.

After a minute passes, Seungyoun lets out a defeated sigh, “I can’t figure out what these little lines mean. I guess I need to study more, huh?” He drops the other’s hand unceremoniously, taking a quick step away to return his pen to its original spot, “If you come back, I’ll try again. I promise that I’ll be more knowledgeable then.”

It sounds like their session is officially coming to an end, so Wooseok shoves his hands in his pockets and bows his head, “Thank you. Even if the palm reading wasn’t great, the tarot reading was. You’re really good at it. And I think it helped clear up a lot of my worries.”

Seungyoun is smiling at him again (of course), with a light dusting of pink covering his cheeks. He’s probably just appreciative of the compliment. “Any time! I’m just happy to be able to help.”

Wooseok grins back at him, exhaling in the hopes of breaking up the sudden nerves that have filled his chest. He knows that his time is up, and Seungyoun probably has another reading to do after this, so he really should get going. Despite that, he finds that he doesn’t want to leave so soon. He wants to stay for another cup of tea. Maybe the other could even teach him how to read some of the cards. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?

But, as it was pointed out during his palm reading, he’s an introvert. He doesn’t feel comfortable imposing, especially on a stranger, and that’s exactly what he would be doing if he asked to hang out for a little bit longer.

To avoid appearing rude, he shakes those thoughts from his head, turning on his heel to find his way out, “Well, thank you again. It was really nice meeting you!”

Seungyoun walks him to the door, holding it open in a very gentlemanly manner, “Nice to meet you, too! Like I said, hopefully we’ll meet again soon.”

Wooseok nods, “Now that we know each other, Hangyul will probably start inviting us to hang out at the same time. I’m sure he’ll find a way to make it happen.”

“Right,” he seems a little surprised at the mention of his best friend’s name, like it didn’t register to him that they had a mutual friend. “I’m sure he will!”

Standing in the doorway, it reminds Wooseok of the end of a date. He almost wants to reach out for a hug, or maybe a kiss on the cheek, but stops himself when he remembers that this was supposed to be a professional interaction.

“Good,” he states, suddenly feeling a little awkward. The fact that he even thought of kissing the man’s cheek is utterly mortifying.

“Good,” Seungyoun parrots, clearing feeling just as uncomfortable. He hopes that the other can’t read his mind as easily as he could read his cards.

It’s officially been a minute too long, so Wooseok swallows his pride and steps out of the apartment. On his way out, he gives Seungyoun a tiny wave. He hopes that this won’t be the last time they meet.

Maybe he’ll need to get his cards read more often.

* * *

The rain has passed by the time he leaves Seungyoun’s place. The only evidence of it are a few puddles drying on the ground, and a fading rainbow floating above the skyline. 

The air is a little thick too, but he might just be having a difficult time breathing. Interacting with attractive people usually has that effect on him.

As he’s walking down the sidewalk, now absent of screaming children, his hand begins to itch. He vaguely remembers his mom telling him that he could get ink poisoning if he let it sit on his skin long enough, but that could have just been an old wives’ tale she used to scare him. Pulling his hand out of his pocket, he scratches at the palm that Seungyoun read.

For the first time, he looks down at it, taking in the many marks that were scribbled into his skin. Just as he had felt, the three major lines on his palm are completely colored in; the black ink contrasts the pale of his skin, standing out like a sore thumb.

But there’s something else that he didn’t catch before.

In the space that Seungyoun was tracing those tiny lines he couldn’t remember having, he finds messy yet oddly endearing handwriting.

> “_I SEE YOU IN MY FUTURE  
CALL ME XXX-XXX-XXXX_”

He probably looks like an idiot, smiling at his hand as he walks down an unfamiliar street, but he can’t be bothered to care much.

Instead of being worried about his future, Wooseok is now excited about it.


	2. Knight of Cups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungyoun receives a call from Wooseok, consults his cards about their future together, and they go out of their first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i originally had no plans to add on to this story. it was just going to be a one-shot, but after the overwhelmingly positive response i received, i decided to add a bonus chapter! i honestly never expected to get 200 kudos in just one week, but i am so thankful for each and every one of you for reading it. you have all motivated me to write more, and i'm so grateful for your support.
> 
> i hope you enjoy this addition to the story!

The first thing Seungyoun does after his very small, very cute client leaves his apartment is log onto Twitter.

He scrolls through his camera gallery until he finds a picture of himself and Hangyul, and then another of him and Jimin. He goes into the photo editor, adding a big “X” sticker over Hangyul’s face, and a bright green check mark next to Jimin’s. Before he uploads the pictures, he tags the two friends in question and types out the caption: “_Friendship ended with Hangyul, now Jimin is my best friend!_”

Despite posting it without context, it receives a like and retweet within seconds. He doesn’t need to look to know that it was Jimin, who has a habit of appreciating anything that compliments her, even if she doesn’t understand why. He also expects that he’ll be getting a message from Hangyul within the next hour, wondering why he would suddenly want to cut off their friendship (even if it’s only half true and mostly just a meme reference).

The reason why is because Hangyul never once told him that he was friends with the prettiest man in the world.

The fact that his own best friend, someone he holds very near and dear to his heart, never thought to introduce him to Kim Wooseok—who, by the way, is exactly his type and probably the love of his life—is a crime. It’s a very serious crime that deserves the harshest of punishments. Hangyul is lucky that it’s just a silly tweet, and not an attempt to break into his apartment to smack him in the back of the head.

But he doesn’t have time to consider all of the horrible ways he can penalize the other. He has more important things to worry about. Like, for example, the fact that he just scribbled his number onto the hand of a total stranger on a whim.

What the hell was he thinking?!

* * *

When Kim Wooseok showed up on his doorstep, all of his expectations for the reading flew out of the window.

Seungyoun has held plenty tarot readings in his apartment, having officially started charging for them over a year ago. It isn’t like he’s completely swamped with bookings, but he doesn’t need to be. This is just a way to get some extra money on the side, working a regular part-time job the rest of the time.

So far, each reading has been pretty mundane. The client shows up, gives him a question, draws some cards, get their answers, and leaves. And, overall, this was exactly how Wooseok’s reading went… if you sprinkled in the fact that Seungyoun spent the entire session trying to balance flirting with being a professional.

He really can’t be held accountable for his actions. The moment he saw the doe-eyed man standing in his doorway, fidgeting nervously as he waited for a greeting, Seungyoun’s heart dropped. He did his best to maintain the usual energy of his sessions, putting on his brightest smile to welcome the stranger, but it was difficult to focus on anything other than Wooseok’s beauty.

He quickly busied himself in the kitchen, grateful that he’d already started boiling tea water before he answered the door. It gave him an excuse to step back and compose himself. He needed those few minutes to calm his rapid heartbeat and ready his mind for a half hour reading with who seemed to be a literal angel.

(Maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, as he had yet to say more than a few words to the other, but he was momentarily blinded by infatuation, so he let it slide.)

After he finished making two cups of tea in his stupid mismatched mugs that he bought from various secondhand shops, he settled down in front of Wooseok and began shuffling his favorite deck of cards. The other seemed pretty clueless about the whole process, which was a lot more endearing than it should have been, so he kept it simple with a star spread of six cards. It was one of his go-to spreads for general readings, as it covered enough information to answer most questions, but didn’t take nearly as long as a ten or twelve card spread. It was perfect for readings that lasted only thirty minutes.

Wooseok picked out his six cards, and Seungyoun willed himself to pay his full attention to the reading as he laid them out in the star-shaped formation. He might have developed a very sudden and unreasonable crush on the stranger, but he’d be damned if he didn’t give him the best first tarot reading ever.

The first thing he noticed as he flipped over each of the cards was that two of them (the Lovers and the two of cups) related to romance. That was a good sign for him. He let out a hum in interest before he could stop himself, and hoped that he could play it off as a contemplative noise rather than a hopeful one.

Not wanting to deliver a shitty service that ended in Wooseok demanding a refund and storming out of his life forever, Seungyoun did his best to set aside his feelings and give a thorough reading.

He explained the basics of a reading, and got through the first card without any issue. If he tried to drop a few hints when he got to the Lovers, throwing in an eyebrow waggle at the mention of romance and sexual desire… well… he’s only human. And he managed to explain the rest of the cards with only a few minor slip-ups (like blushing uncontrollably, staring at the other man like a lovesick puppy, and accidentally calling him “pretty”), so he counted the session as a success.

Where he really strayed from the path was at the very end, when he stopped Wooseok from leaving by offering a palm reading. The problem there was that he had never once read someone’s palms, and only knew the three main lines through osmosis. Thankfully, the shorter man was just as clueless about it as he was tarot, so he was confident that he could get away with it.

It was a pretty impressive excuse to not only hold Wooseok’s hand, but to keep him in the apartment for a few extra minutes, and he was proud of himself for thinking on his feet like that.

The idea to write his number on the other’s (very soft, warm) palm came to him at the last second, but it seemed smart at the time. Wooseok hadn’t even noticed that he did it, so he didn’t have to face any consequences right then and there. Never hearing from the other was the worst that could happen. Or maybe he would receive an angry message or comment on his Instagram posts. But he could live with that.

All that mattered in the moment was that he had a chance to talk to Wooseok again. He swallowed his pride, refused to second-guess himself, and hoped that it wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass.

…

So that’s what the hell he was thinking. He was so taken by Wooseok and his pretty face that he experienced a lapse in judgement and made a dumb decision.

All he can do now is wait for some kind of a response.

The next fifteen minutes pass with Seungyoun mindlessly watching television, too anxious to actually pay attention to the show’s plot. It’s some kind of drama about two co-workers falling in love, but aside from that, and the fact that the male lead has an ugly haircut, he can’t find it in himself to really care.

A buzz in his pocket nearly makes his heart stop, and he quickly digs out his phone to check the notification. His excitement is squelched when he finds a text from Hangyul sitting on the lockscreen. This is the second time his best friend has fucked him over today, and he’s ready to start a fight.

The text in question is just a link to his earlier tweet, followed by a series of question marks.

With a huff, he types out a reply: “_How dare you not introduce me to Kim Wooseok. He could be my future husband. You’re dead to me._”

All he gets in response is a bunch of laughing emojis. A few seconds later, a Twitter notification pops up, showing that Hangyul had tagged him in a tweet: “_Hyung is being a big baby because he thinks I cockblocked him_”, followed by more laughing emojis.

He decides to be the bigger person and not respond, setting his phone next to him on the couch and returning to only half-paying attention to the drama.

A few more minutes pass, and his phone starts vibrating again. He waits for it to buzz more than once before he leaps out of his seat to answer it. The number flashing on the screen is unsaved, which could mean one of two things: Wooseok is actually calling him, or some telemarketer was tasked with annoying him until he hangs up on them.

Seungyoun takes a deep breath, reminding himself to _stay cool_ before sliding his finger across the touchscreen to answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” the voice on the other line is soft. A few seconds pass before they speak again, quickly realizing that Seungyoun doesn’t have their number saved, “It’s Wooseok. From earlier.”

A smile takes over his face before he can even register it, “I remember who you are, Wooseok.”

“Good,” he laughs, and Seungyoun swears it sounds like twinkling bells (or something just as pretty), “I’m just making sure.”

They fall into an awkward silence, neither of them knowing how to continue. Ten or so beats must pass before he decides to break it, clearing his throat.

“I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” his cheeks are red with embarrassment at his own actions, and he’s suddenly glad that this is a strictly verbal conversation. Seungyoun chuckles, but it sounds forced even to his own ears, “I don’t even know why I did it.”

“Oh,” Wooseok’s response is short and simple, but he thinks he can sense a hint of disappointment in his voice. It’s only then that he realizes how his words could be misinterpreted.

“No! I didn’t mean it like that!” His voice is too loud, and he knows it, but he’s too busy hurrying to correct himself to care. “I know exactly why I did it. You’re cute and nice, and I wanted to talk to you again. I just don’t know why I suddenly decided that writing all over your hand was a good way to do that. I probably should’ve just, like, asked for your number like a normal human being.”

“It didn’t make me uncomfortable; I thought it was pretty cute, actually,” Wooseok reassures him, sounding relieved, “And I’m glad you were brave enough to make the first move, because I couldn’t think of a way to do it myself.” 

“You can thank your cards for that. I think I only built up the courage to do it because you pulled the Lovers and the two of cups,” Seungyoun laughs, but this time, it’s genuine. “The cards said you would find love soon, and I guess I was just hopeful that it could be me.”

“I’m glad the feelings are mutual, because I think a part of me was also hoping it was you,” Wooseok’s voice is quiet, like he’s afraid to admit it.

Seungyoun’s face lights up like a Christmas tree, his heartbeat speeding up to an unusually quick pace. His intuition has never failed him, and it certainly didn’t today. He doubts that Wooseok shares the same level of infatuation as he does (which is totally understandable because Wooseok is an angel and he’s just Seungyoun), but the fact that he at least feels _something_ toward him is more than enough.

“Wooseok...” That same surge of courage from earlier makes a return, and he decides to spit it out before he has the chance to talk himself out of it, “Do you want to go out? With me, I mean. On a date.” He clears his throat, trying to power through the self-consciousness that tells him he sounds stupid, “Let me start over. Can I take you out on a date tomorrow?”

He thinks he can hear muffled laughter coming from the other end, but the blood pounding in his ears makes it hard to tell. “You know, you’re a lot less confident over the phone,” Wooseok sounds amused.

He lets out a frustrated groan, worried that he ruined his only chance, “I swear, I’m usually not this bad.”

“It’s okay, it’s charming,” Wooseok’s words make his insides turn to mush. “Just try not to be so nervous tomorrow. The cards said I was going to meet someone special, and it’s probably you, so there’s nothing to worry about. Right?”

“Right,” he exhales, trying to force some of the nerves out of his body. “So, is that a yes?”

“It’s a yes.”

If Seungyoun does a very triumphant fist pump in the middle of his empty apartment, well… let’s just say, he’s really glad that Wooseok can’t see him.

“Great!” He knows he’s shouting, but can’t really find it in himself to care at all. He’s allowed to be excited about scoring a date with one of the cutest people he’s ever met. “Do you want to just meet me at my place and we can leave from here? Or should I come pick you up? I don’t know where you live, so I’ll need your address, but I can totally do that! Or we can just meet up somewhere completely different, if that’s more comfortable for you,” he’s rambling now, enthusiasm evident in his voice, and he has to physically slap a hand over his mouth to stop himself.

He hears that beautiful laughter again, and despite the humiliation swirling in the pit of his stomach, he can’t hold back a grin at the sound. He feels like an idiot for not being able to control himself, but if Wooseok finds it amusing, then he’d be willing to make a complete fool of himself any day of the week.

“Sorry,” he mutters, but with a smile on his face, he doesn’t actually sound very apologetic.

Wooseok finally stops laughing at him long enough to reply, “I’ll come to your place. Is noon okay?”

“You’re perfect!” Seungyoun confidently answers, only to freeze when his own words register. His mouth hangs open for a few seconds, staring with wide eyes at the posters on his wall. He feels like the girls of Twice are laughing at him, and it’s almost as big of a betrayal as Hangyul’s. 

Wooseok is laughing too, this time much harder than he was before, and Seungyoun wonders how badly it would hurt if he slammed his head against the wall.

After an unacceptable amount of time passes (it was maybe five seconds, but five seconds of feeling utterly mortified were five seconds too many), he closes his eyes in defeat. “Oh my God,” his voice is quiet, like he genuinely can’t believe what he has just done, “I was going to say ‘that’s perfect’ and ‘you’ve got it’ but I think my brain exploded and mixed the two of them together.”

Seungyoun is ready for the other to notice that he’s making a mistake, call off the date immediately, and apologize for not realizing just how much of a loser he is. The ‘calm, cool, and collected’ persona that he had tried to adapt during the reading is now flushed down the drain, and he’ll never be able to get it back.

But, to his surprise, Wooseok doesn’t do that.

“You’re cute,” he says instead, complete with a giggle that makes Seungyoun’s insides feel fuzzy. “I’ll see you at noon.”

Before he has enough time to process that, the call ends. He’s left staring into space, unable to wrap his head around the fact that he actually managed to score a date after such a disastrous conversation. He either left one hell of a first impression on the other man, or the cards are truly working in his favor right now, because there’s no way Wooseok would have agreed otherwise.

* * *

The next morning, Seungyoun jumps out of bed with a spring in his step. He makes his favorite breakfast of sugary cereal (yes, it counts as making it if you have to pour cereal _and_ milk into a bowl), picks out his best ‘casual but still nice’ outfit, and even sings in the shower as he’s getting ready.

By the time he finishes getting ready and mentally plans out the date, he has just enough time to do a simple reading.

Tarot helps to settle his nerves. He feels more at ease when he has the advice of his cards, even if it’s for simple problems in his everyday life. When he’s feeling stressed out, he’ll pick a card to see if it can tell him why, or how to fix it. When he’s happy, he’ll draw a few cards that will give him a rough estimate of how long it will last. And when he’s anxious about going on a date…

His gaze drifts over to the black velvet bag that houses his favorite deck. Three cards should be enough for a love reading. He doesn’t need anything in depth; just enough to let him know how things will go, and give him the confidence he desperately needs to make it through an afternoon with Wooseok.

Grabbing the bag, he removes the deck, shuffling thoroughly before picking a card from the stack.

The first card he pulls is part of the major arcana, which he interprets as a good omen.

The card is the Empress, and it shows a beautiful, luscious tree up against the night’s sky. The outermost leaves are a pinkish-red, resembling blossoms, or maybe even fruit, that go along with the card’s relation to the creation of life. The Empress is the archetypal mother of the deck, representing a giver of life and a sense of fertility.

In a love reading like this, he would interpret the card as the start of something beautiful, like a new love or a deeper, more fulfilling relationship. As a maternal figure, the Empress symbolizes unconditional love, nuruting, and sensuality—three characteristics of an ideal romantic relationship.

It’s too early to say that he can see unconditional love in his future with Wooseok, but he recognizes the potential of a passionate relationship that will grow over time. They just need to encourage growth through bonding, and strengthen the relationship. If this is the start of a new love, then everything else that the card symbolizes will follow suit.

Pleased with his first pick, he moves on to his second, flipping it over to reveal a single goblet against a background of colorful scales. The sight of it makes him want to squeal with delight, instantly recognizing what it means for his love life.

The ace of cups holds various emotional energies, and often signifies a period of time that is heavily dominated by feeling-based experiences. What this usually means is a new relationship filled with happiness and excitement. It’s a brand new bond that will open the door to raw emotions. People often view it as love’s beginnings and romantic potential.

He has one more card to go, but he’s already satisfied with the reading. It tells him that his relationship with Wooseok will be something new and strong, and will bring him joy, as well as a sense of nurturing that he hasn’t received from any of his other relationships.

He carefully picks the last card, drawing it from the deck. He’s surprised to find yet another card of cups, but can’t hold back his glee at the sight. The odds of drawing two cups in a love reading of only three cards is slim, but it’s also one of the best outcomes someone could pull.

Each suit represents a different “family”, with cups representing someone’s emotions, relationships, and matters of the heart. The knight of cups is thought of as a romantic, sensitive soul. He’s a charmer who works hard to turn his dreams into a reality. In a general reading, his appearance would mean that something special will enter his life, and in a love reading, that something special is a person. It means he’s going to court, or be courted by, someone attractive, creative, and compassionate.

He doesn’t know much about Wooseok yet, but he thinks he fits that description—at the very least, he’s attractive.

A sudden knock on his door tells him that the other man is already there, and some stupid part of Seungyoun’s brain hopes that he isn’t a mindreader and doesn’t know what he was just thinking.

The cards are set aside in his hurry to answer the door. He doesn’t want to leave him waiting on his doorstep for the second day in a row.

When he opens the door, he finds a Wooseok who looks even cuter than he had the day before; he didn’t think it was physically possible, but he’s wearing a yellow sweater that’s at least one size too big, and a damn beret is nestled on top of his head, and Seungyoun almost wants to cry. It feels wrong to take the shorter man out on a date when he should probably just pull him inside and cuddle him for the rest of the day. He briefly wonders if he should suggest changing their plans, but cuddling sounds like more of a third date idea, so he tucks it away for later time.

“You look nice,” he says in lieu of a greeting, the bright smile on his face just a reaction to seeing him again. It sounds like a line from a cheesy teen rom-com, but it’s the truth.

Wooseok lights up as well, cheeks dusting a light pink, “Thanks. I didn’t know what we would be doing, so…” He trails off, leaving the thought unfinished. His eyes travel across Seungyoun’s body, inspecting his outfit in return. “You look nice too, though.”

Seungyoun looks down at his clothing, the other’s presence causing him to forget what he had put on just an hour before. It’s a simple blue button-up over a white t-shirt, which is nothing compared to the adorable fuzzy sweater-beret combo, but at least he isn’t as underdressed as he was yesterday. He actually put effort into his outfit today, so receiving a compliment in return makes it feel worth it.

“Thanks,” he parrots the other with a grin, stepping into the hallway and locking the apartment door after him. He pats his pockets to double-check that he has his phone and wallet, and leads the way down to the lobby. “I was thinking that we could go to an arcade. Is that okay?”

“That’s okay,” Wooseok answers, but something in his voice says that he’s confused by the suggestion.

Before he can start panicking that it’s very much _not_ okay, he decides to clarify, “Do you not like arcades? We can do something else if you want!”

“No, no, I like arcades! It’s a great idea,” Wooseok is quick to reassure him. “I don’t know. I guess I was expecting you to do something a little eccentric for the first date,” he rubs absentmindedly at the back of his neck. “Maybe my idea of tarot readers is a little skewed.”

Seungyoun’s interest is immediately piqued, his worries melting away. He grins, “What _is_ your idea of tarot readers?”

Wooseok groans, lifting a hand to cover his face, “Please, don’t make me say it.”

“Now I’m curious, so you have to tell me!”

“Just like…” he almost sounds pained as he searches for the right word, “witchy, you know? Black cats and crystal balls and skulls. Spooky stuff like that.”

Seungyoun has to physically hold himself back from laughing. He has a feeling that Wooseok wouldn’t appreciate that much. “I hate to break it to you, but I don’t have any of those things. Although I do have a pointy hat somewhere in my closet from last year’s Halloween. I own a broom too, but it doesn’t fly.”

“I know, I was stupid to think that,” he sighs with a shake of his head, “but in my defense, I’ve never met a tarot reader before! I was going off of what I’ve seen in movies and on TV, which isn’t much.”

“Most people probably think that, so you’re not alone there,” Seungyoun tries to comfort him. He’s actually heard similar descriptions before; it’s not like tarot is something people encounter every day, so their knowledge of it comes from the media they consume. It’s not their fault that movies and TV make it seem a lot more magical than it really is. “My friends might disagree, but I think I’m a pretty normal person. I just memorized a bunch of cards and try to interpret their meanings.”

“You said that yesterday,” Wooseok perks up, gaining back his confidence at the opportunity to compliment him. “You need to give yourself more credit, Seungyoun. The reading was really accurate, and it encouraged me to get my shit together. So it’s more than just remembering meanings. You’re pretty amazing,” he pauses, peeking over at him with a shy smile, “and I’m not just saying that because you’re cute.”

Despite the sweatiness of his palms, he’s struck with the urge to reach out and hold Wooseok’s hand. So he does—but not before wiping his own against the leg of his pants to fix some of the claminess.

The warmth of the other's hand in his acts as a reminder of how much he wanted to properly hold it yesterday. Wooseok doesn't pull away, and instead adjusts the grip to intertwine their fingers. Their hands swing between them as they begin down the street.

"I'll try not to sell myself short anymore," Seungyoun practically beams at him, his heart pounding with adrenaline. "Just for you."

The shorter male lets out a pleased hum and gives his hand a tiny squeeze, "I can live with that."

* * *

As far as first dates go, Seungyoun would have to rank this one as his favorite. In his personal experience, first outings are the most awkward; unless you’re already friends, it takes a while to get to know someone and open up to them. But with Wooseok, that nervousness only lasts for the first ten minutes of their arcade experience.

In the beginning, they play different games, but remain in the same general area as one another. Seungyoun gravitates toward a shooting game, while Wooseok tries his hand at one of the many racing machines. The few minutes that they spend doing their own thing allows them to loosen up, and by the time they meet back up for a competitive game of air-hockey, they feel comfortable enough to goof around and tease each other.

For the rest of their date, they stick together, hopping from machine to machine and playing as many of the games as they possibly can. Seungyoun quickly learns that, despite how innocent and sweet he looks, Wooseok is extremely competitive and will do everything in his power to win. He even resorts to cheating once or twice, much to Seungyoun’s amusement. 

He doesn’t call him out on it, but at least two rounds of skee-ball are won by the shorter man because he’s leaning too far over the line. It’s difficult to get upset about it when the smug smile on Wooseok’s face makes his heart skip a beat.

By the time they reach the DDR machines, their playful banter has morphed into no-holds-barred smack talk, bickering loudly enough to attract the attention of other arcade-goers.

("I'm gonna destroy you, Cho," Wooseok threatens as they deposit their tokens and get in place on the dance pad.

Seungyoun bounces up and down to warm himself up, "With those skinny legs? I'd like to see you try!"

It's a close match that leaves them panting for breath, but Seungyoun walks away with another win.)

They move through the arcade one game at a time, stopping at every machine that catches their eye. Wooseok keeps a tally of their score very enthusiastically, and Seungyoun doesn't even point out when he sneakily gives himself a few extra points. He thinks it's cute that the other man is so determined to win, even if there's no prize for the winner or any consequences for the loser.

Just as they're reaching the end of the games, they come across a row of crane machines. This is when Seungyoun's competitive spirit comes to light, as he vows silently to win a stuffed animal for his date. There's a shiba inu plush that has his name written all over it, and he spends forty minutes and an embarrassingly large amount of money trying to grab it.

("Let me try," Wooseok offers after the machine lets out loud buzz to announce yet another loss.

At this point, Seungyoun is convinced that the game is rigged, but he steps back to make room for the other anyway.

It takes only two tries before the shiba is in their possession, and Wooseok is jumping up and down to celebrate his victory. When he hands the toy to Seungyoun, the man pouts.

"I was trying to win it for you," he admits, staring into the plush toy's black eyes.

Rather than taking the toy back, Wooseok spends the next few minutes trying to grab another one. In the end, they walk away with two identical shiba plushies.

Wooseok hugs one to his chest, grinning at Seungyoun like it was the best gift he's ever won for himself, "Now we both have one! It can be a couple item."

Seungyoun nearly melts into a puddle on the dirty arcade floor.)

The hours pass quickly, and by the time they're leaving the arcade, it's a good time for them to grab an early dinner. Seungyoun jumps at the chance to extend their day out, offering to buy him a meal—he uses Wooseok's "win" as an excuse. He lets the other man pick where they go, and the pair end up in a chicken restaurant not far from their first destination.

Over a nice meal of fried chicken (and chicken feet, which is apparently Wooseok's absolute favorite), they take the chance to have a real conversation. At the arcade, their time was spent teasing each other, but in a quiet restaurant with only a few other customers, they question each other about their lives.

Seungyoun quickly learns that Wooseok's best friend is named Seungwoo, and he was the one who suggested the reading and messaged him for the appointment. He makes a mental note to thank him for bringing them together. He also finds out that Wooseok has been singing his entire life, and is often praised by his professors.

("Can you sing for me?"

Wooseok looks at him like he's insane, "Right now? With all of these people around? Hell no."

Seungyoun's most convincing pout doesn't work on him, but the other does promise to sing for him another time.)

Wooseok learns that Seungyoun has a part-time job working retail, that his favorite genre of music is R&B, and that he didn't attend university because he felt that school "wasn't for him". He asks about tarot too, his curiosity from the day before making an appearance.

(Seungyoun shrugs when he's asked how he got started with tarot reading, "I saw a few YouTube videos about it and thought it looked cool. So I bought myself a deck and spent the next few months learning all of their meanings and how to read them. When I started reading for my friends, they said I was really accurate, so I decided to give it a proper try."

"That's it? No big spiritual epiphany? No realization that you had a gift?"

He laughs and shakes his head, "Nothing like that, no. I'm just a guy who bought some cards on a whim and ended up being pretty good at it.")

They finish up their meals and decide to head home. They're both reluctant to end the date, but the sky is going to start growing dark soon and Seungyoun worries about the other walking home at night.

On the way back to his apartment, Wooseok holds onto his hand again.

* * *

It seems that lingering on Seungyoun's doorstep is quickly becoming their _thing_. Neither of them want to say goodbye, so they're at a stalemate, standing in awkward silence as they try to prolong their interaction for just a few more minutes.

His first thought is to invite him inside for tea, but that would defeat the purpose of getting home before dark. He also doesn't want Wooseok to misconstrue his invitation as some kind of proposition. The last thing he wants to do is scare away the best date he's ever had.

"You know," Seungyoun breaks the quiet, picking at a chip of paint that's peeling from his doorframe. "I gave myself a love reading this morning."

With the stuffed animal tucked under his arm and an actual twinkle in his eye (which may be from the lighting, but that's beside the point), Wooseok looks at him like an excited kid, "And what did your cards say?"

"They basically said that we're soulmates," his tone is flippant, but his words are practically the truth. His reading was overwhelmingly positive, and he pulled three of the best cards you could get in a love reading. Maybe the word "soulmate" didn't actually come up, but the cards still predicted a long-lasting, fulfilling relationship. He just doesn't want to tell Wooseok that and come off too strong, so playing it off as a joke is his best bet.

The other man seems amused by his answer—maybe even pleased. He grins up at him, "Soulmates, huh?" His nose wrinkles a little with his laughter, "I guess we're just gonna have to wait to find out."

Seungyoun's heart starts doing gymnastics in his chest, "We should probably go out again next week. Just to test it."

He's met with more laughter, but instead of brushing off the suggestion of a second date, Wooseok nods with enthusiasm, "I'd love that!"

Before he has the chance to respond, Wooseok takes a step forward, leans up, and plants a quick peck on his cheek. The sudden kiss leaves him dazed, unable to do anything but watch as the other starts walking backwards down the hall.

"I'll text you!" The man shouts at him before hurrying out of his sight.

Seungyoun takes a minute to compose himself, a goofy smile taking over his face. He almost can’t believe how well everything went. He really shouldn’t doubt tarot, even if a reading is so positive that it feels impossible.

As he retreats back into his apartment, he realizes just how thankful he is for those damn cards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm going to be moving on to a new fic after this, and have plans for even more in the future, so please look forward to them~

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you liked it! please let me know what you thought!
> 
> if you want, you can find me on twitter @guanwoozi


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